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A wide choice of topics covered from the dawn of history right up to present days . Many of these have a wider relevance than purely within the context of Strathearn . The author's viewpoint often is at variance with the accepted opinions espoused elsewhere eg The Jacobite Uprisings and The Reformation .

Trades and Industries That Have long Gone

There is an old Scots word " couthie " which conveys a meaning
oft lacking in the" Queen's
English ". Perhaps gentle -
agreeable or kindly is an apt translation . The following extract is from one
of my favourite collections " Crieff : Its Traditions and Characters
" written in 1881 by a certain D McAra . MacAra is somewhatovershadowedby the rather patrician historian
Porteous whose 1908 epic “ A History of Crieff ” is still regardedas the ultimate account of things in and
around the town . MacAra – a couthie individual by all accounts, capturesmuch of the lost sentiment of yester year when the paceof thingsin that pre technology age was that littlebit slower ! The appended tale of trades of the
pastdepicts a world of rural artisans
working at thingswhich in thismodernage areall but forgotten !

Many kinds of tradesmen etc have disappeared from the
district including spunkmakers , weavers and sheriff officers . Many sawyers
were constantly employed with their large frame saws . Being “ top sawyer “ was
a common saying . There were several wood yards where sawing was done on the
premises but the various joiners and workers in wood had generallya saw pit of their own where the sawyers cut
the timber required . Thrashing grain was much in vogue during winter and
spring and many old farm hands found employment in the numerous barns in the
town . It is rare now to see the old fashioned flail doing duty . Dykes , except
as boundary walls have now given place to wire fencing .Most farms are now well
drained and employment of this sort is becoming very scarce . As fencing , the
old world system of herding cows and sheep in the low districts went out of use
and it is now the exception to have herds . Spinning took up much of the female
labour , but spinning wheels are now seen only in lumber rooms and museums .
Dyers were also abundant and a thorough hand made a good thing of it . Lint or
scotching mills were on several of the burns and were fully employed in winter.
This was a “ stoury “ job and the farmers when delivering their lint to go
through the mill had to remember abottle of whisky with each cart .At one mill which was at Bridgend this
was rigidly enforced . The cart would not be allowed to disload till the
customary dues were produced. Waulk mills were numerous and were in use for
waulking or thickening woollen fabrics including blue bonnets and kilmarnocks.

A paper mill was for many
years in full operation beside the lade at “ Cook’s Brae “ . There were several
wheelwrights celebrated for making spinning – wheels . . Hecklers abounded who
gave the finishing touches to flax previous to spinning , the last practitioner
being Johnnie Brown , the beadle . Blacking for shoes was also made and vended
over the country , the last maker being Johnnie Miller who had himself carried
goods through the country by a Shetland pony . Several blacking makers visited
the district amongst them being “ Black Willie “ who , with his wife , managed
to get drunk daily . One dark night they were at South Bridgend , and she fell
into the mill lade and was drowned and found in the heck in the morning .
Clockmakers did a good business and many substantial eight – day clocks are
still to be found .Some fifty years ago the town could boast of a hat maker and
it is not so long since Jean M’Ewan or “ Leuchar “ made and mended umbrellas ,
genuine whale bone articles which , with a little care and repair would last a
lifetime . Harvesting created much employment fathers and sons usually hired
themselves to harvest work all over the country .Many went to the Lothians and
Stirling , and squads of highlanders from the Grampian Hills marched southwards
for the same purpose . Not a few men and women from the Island of Skye would be
found among them . The women and families went to the surrounding farms where
the children enjoyed a thorough holiday and the mother s plied the hook and
sickle , “ thraving “ amongst the grain
. A thrave consisted of two stooks of twelve sheaves each , the allowance being
from 2 ½d to 3d a thrave . .Many women could net from 2s 6d to 3s daily . This
is all done away with and people wonder how such things could have been . The
scythe came into general use about forty years ago . Now shearingmachines do the work , and stream thrashing
and winnowing prepare the grain for the market .

Crieff had a candle making
establishment but it ceased work many years ago . There was also an oil mill ,
where linseed oil made and oil cake manufactured . The introduction of gas in
1843 led the way to the relegation of these and kindred employments .

Burking created a terrible
sensation in the country in 1828 and subsequent years and resurectionists who
lifted grave sof newly interred bodies caused much anxiety . Though the Burke
and Hare tragedies and trials passed away there was a prevalent belief that
they had followers and many people were terrified to move out of doors after
dark . Practical jokes after dusk were often played on respectable lieges such
as passing a bit of paper across the mouth and chasing and threatening to burke
. One woman got fearful fright at the meadow . After running home a bit of
paper was discovered sticking on her umbrella which to her was sufficient
evidence of a burker’s intention. The graves of newly interred relatives were
nightly watched for some weeks the guard consisting generally of two . A loaded
gun was not unfrequently one of the weapons of offence . To such an extent did
the feeling go that several parishes got large iron cagesmade to fix over the grave for a time , so as
to prevent the snatching of the dead . Up until forty years ago it was not
uncommon practice for friends to stick bits of wood and slate on and around the
grave turf . , and then regularly examine to see if anything was disturbed .
One book traveller of doubtful character and belongings frequented the town and
districts shortly after Burke’s day and his mysterious actions and boxes created such a furore
that the inhabitants treated him so roughly that he narrowly escaped with his
life an d bade adieu to the district . For many years nothing would frighten
youth into obedience like stories and threatenings of burkers and
resurectionists .

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